


A Well-Deserved Rest

by DefinitelyNotScott



Category: Jewish Scripture & Legend, Sefer Yehudit | Book of Judith
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Gen, Italian Baroque Levels of Gore, The text of the work itself is much more understated than the art regarding violence, There's a decapitation going on in the author's notes so beware of that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23035375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefinitelyNotScott/pseuds/DefinitelyNotScott
Summary: Yehudit finally has time to rest.
Relationships: Yehudit | Judith & Yehudit | Judith's Maid (Book of Judith)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7
Collections: Purimgifts 2020





	A Well-Deserved Rest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CenozoicSynapsid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CenozoicSynapsid/gifts).



Yehudit was finally home, though she could still hear the exultations of the people in the streets. There was blood in her cuticles, and when she pulled off her rings there was more, dried in the creases where a hasty wipe on fabric bundled around a bloody burden could not reach.

Her waiting-woman already had a pitcher of water from somewhere. How quickly the city's drought disappeared without foreign soldiers guarding the fountain. She poured and Yehudit scrubbed, the water flowing soft over her skin.

When the pitcher was empty and her hands were as clean as washing would get them, she looked up. Her waiting-woman smiled, but there was a hesitation, like you might have smiling at someone you hadn't previously realized was capable of lopping a man's head off. Or maybe she was imagining things and it was the hesitation of sympathy. Their triumph had come at the price of making a spectacle of herself, and her companion knew what a blow that would be. 

Yehudit smiled back, late and flat. Everything about her was flat - she had been awake too long for anything else. She hadn't slept since the day before... or was it two days now? 

Her waiting-woman set aside the pitcher and guided her to where her widow's wear was laid out. Her hands almost shook with relief as she peeled off the fine linen garments she had worn to face the enemy. This was why her dear companion had charge of everything that was hers. Gratefully she climbed back into the protective shell of her widowhood. Tomorrow she would don linen like armor and braid up her hair into a helmet of war if need be, but tonight she would rest. 

"Thank you," she said, but her waiting-woman only nodded and held up a wide-toothed comb. Yehudit sank into a chair with a sigh. Gentle fingers lifted the band from her head, and began taking down her braids. Yehudit sagged against the chair, her head just another thing she trusted to her companion's care.

"Shhh..." her companion said, fingers nimble and rhythmic at their work. 

Yehudit's eyes fluttered closed.

**Author's Note:**

> I think we all love Artemisia Gentileschi's take on Judith.


End file.
